The oddities of the English language
The Word “UP”
I’m sure you will enjoy this.
One word in the English language that could be a noun, verb, adj, adv, prep is “UP”.
Read until the end… you’ll have a good laugh !!!
This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word. That word is, *’UP’*. It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It’s easy to understand *UP*, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake *UP*?
At a meeting, why does a topic come *UP*? Why do we speak ‘UP’, and why are the officers *UP* for election, if there is a tie, it is a toss *UP*, and why is it *UP* to the secretary to write *UP* a report ?
We call *UP* our friends, brighten *UP* a room, polish *UP* the silver, warm *UP* the leftovers and clean *UP* the kitchen. We lock *UP* the house and fix *UP* the old car.
At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir *UP* trouble, line UP for tickets, work *UP* an appetite, and think *UP* excuses.
To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed *UP* is special.
And this *UP* can be confusing. A drain must be opened *UP* because it is blocked *UP* !!!
We open *UP* a store in the morning, but we close it *UP* at night. We seem to be pretty mixed *UP* about *UP* !!!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of *UP*, look *UP* the word *UP* in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes *UP* almost 1/4 of the page and can add *UP* to about thirty definitions !!!
If you are *UP* to it, you might try building *UP* a list of the many ways *UP* is used. It will take *UP* a lot of your time, but if you don’t give *UP*, you may wind *UP* with, *UP* to, a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding *UP*. When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing *UP*. When it rains, it soaks *UP* the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry *UP*.
One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it *UP*, for now…… my time is *UP*!
So, did this whole thing, crack you *UP*?
Send this on to everyone you look *UP* in your address book…. or not… it’s *UP* to you.
Desmond Kelly.
(Editor-in-Chief).
